Shen Haoran arrived from a distance, calling out to stop the members of the Yao Sect who were poised to strike.

"Boss, why are we stopping? Let’s just screw them over! I’ve been sick of them for a long time!" Zi Mo shouted, pointing at Gou Shi.

"Exactly! They’re way too arrogant!" the other members of the Yao Sect chimed in.

But Shen Haoran just shook his head and chuckled. "Why resort to violence? There’s no point in fighting when this can be resolved with words. Don’t you agree? Besides, what if we walk right into their trap? Wouldn’t we be at a huge disadvantage then?" As he finished, Shen Haoran gave Xue Gong a profound glance.

Meeting Shen Haoran’s gaze, Xue Gong frowned, a sense of unease stirring within.

"What do you mean? The Chen Alliance is setting a trap for us?" Zi Mo’s brows furrowed upon hearing this.

Shen Haoran chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Xue Gong. Internally, he sneered.

When Long Zhen had first found Shen Haoran to report this matter, Shen Haoran had felt that something was off. If the Chen Alliance truly didn’t want to give up a prized asset like the Celestial Essence Hall, they could have simply shut their doors and refused to meet. There was no need to make such a big fuss and let every disciple in the Sect know about it. That would be bad for their reputation.

The Chen Alliance definitely had an ulterior motive. Their goal wasn’t merely to hold onto the alchemy channels provided by the Celestial Essence Hall!

’But what is their goal?’ Shen Haoran put himself in Ouyang Chen’s shoes. ’If I were Ouyang Chen, what would I do?’ The moment he thought of it, his heart lurched, and a cold sweat broke out on his brow. ’Ouyang Chen is planning to move against the Yao Sect!’

Ouyang Chen’s objective was simple. He was using the alchemy channels of the Celestial Essence Hall as bait to lure out the Yao Sect. If the Chen Alliance stubbornly refused to relinquish the territory, the Yao Sect certainly wouldn’t back down. A conflict between the two factions would be inevitable.

And that was exactly what Ouyang Chen wanted to see. As long as the Yao Sect struck the Chen Alliance’s members first, he would have a pretext to retaliate. The Chen Alliance had been established in the Five Elements Sect for far longer than the Yao Sect; its roots ran deep. If the two factions went to war, the Yao Sect was destined for a crushing defeat!

’His cunning runs deep,’ Shen Haoran thought, his estimation of Ouyang Chen rising another notch.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...

Just as Shen Haoran finished his analysis, the sound of applause rang out. The members of the Chen Alliance parted to form a path, and a young man in white robes emerged from their rear. It was none other than the Alliance Leader of the Chen Alliance, Ouyang Chen.

Seeing Ouyang Chen appear, the surrounding crowd of disciples instantly erupted into an uproar.

"It’s Ouyang Chen! The number one expert on the Dragon and Tiger List! I can’t believe Shen Haoran actually managed to draw him out. He’s usually so elusive; you only ever catch a glimpse of him!"

"It seems Shen Haoran’s recent rise to prominence has made Ouyang Chen feel threatened. He probably came out to give Shen Haoran a warning!"

"Then isn’t Shen Haoran finished? Ouyang Chen’s strength can’t be compared to small-timers like Guan Zhi or Li Ge! He’s the number one existence on the Dragon and Tiger List!"

"Who knows? We’ll just have to watch and see."

Ouyang Chen paid no mind to the crowd’s murmuring. A faint smile still played on his lips as he looked at Shen Haoran and said lightly, "Tsk, tsk. Shen Haoran, you’re quite something. To have figured out the gist of my plan... It seems I’ve underestimated you."

Looking at Ouyang Chen’s beaming expression, Shen Haoran felt no warmth at all. Instead, it was as if a cold wind had just blown past, making the hair on his arms stand on end.

Shen Haoran’s expression grew grave as he looked at Ouyang Chen, shocked. ’So this is Ouyang Chen? He’s truly worthy of his title as the number one expert on the Dragon and Tiger List.’ The man before him exerted an immense pressure, the likes of which Shen Haoran had never felt from a peer before.

However, Shen Haoran’s shock lasted only a moment before he recovered. The pressure emanating from Ouyang Chen only served to ignite his fighting spirit. He straightened his back and looked at Ouyang Chen, saying coolly, "The feeling’s mutual. I had no idea the top expert on the Dragon and Tiger List was so cunning. Consider me enlightened."

Shen Haoran’s mocking words reached the ears of the Chen Alliance members, stirring a wave of fury. Ouyang Chen’s expression, however, remained unchanged. His eyes merely narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them as his cold voice rang out once more. "I’m merely warning a certain someone that people shouldn’t be too greedy. Some things are more than he can bite off and chew."

"Oh, is that so? The Yao Sect’s appetite is just fine. Swallowing a tiny little alliance like yours would be no problem at all," Shen Haoran retorted without a shred of politeness, a grin spreading across his face.

"Ever heard the saying ’disaster follows an unguarded tongue’?" Ouyang Chen’s aura grew colder, and a faint pressure began to bear down on Shen Haoran.

"Hmph. Enlighten me," Shen Haoran declared, unleashing his own aura to meet Ouyang Chen’s icy pressure. The two streams of Powerful Qi collided in mid-air, letting out a deep, muffled boom.

As their auras clashed—one bone-chillingly cold, the other utterly domineering—they began to erode one another. The crowd could see space itself twisting under the force of their presence. They couldn’t help but gasp in shock. ’Are they so strong that they can distort space with their auras alone?’ 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In truth, it was because Ouyang Chen possessed the Ancient War God Physique, while Shen Haoran had the even more legendary Chaos Divine Body. The auras emanating from them were beyond what an ordinary person could even imagine. For two such auras to distort space upon collision was a simple matter.

The two faced off. In the next instant, both Shen Haoran and Ouyang Chen vanished from their spots. By the time the crowd saw them again, they were already face-to-face, fists raised and hurtling toward one another.

BOOM! With a deafening thud, a visible shockwave radiated out from the two of them. The bluestone tiles beneath their feet instantly shattered, and countless tiny cracks spiderwebbed out in all directions.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...

As their fists collided, Shen Haoran was forced backward. He retreated several dozen steps before finally stopping, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground. Ouyang Chen, in contrast, only trembled slightly before steadying himself. In a single exchange, the difference in their power was clear!

Shen Haoran stared at Ouyang Chen, his expression grim. Spiritual Power surged wildly through his body to his right arm, devouring the immense force of the blow. ’Ouyang Chen’s strength is even more terrifying than I imagined!’

Seeing Shen Haoran forced back dozens of steps, the crowd was stunned. "As expected of the number one on the Dragon and Tiger List," they murmured, "Shen Haoran is completely outmatched!"

Ouyang Chen, however, just licked his lips cruelly. "Is that all the strength you have?"

With that, his figure vanished again, lunging toward Shen Haoran. At the sight, Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Power began to surge, but in the next instant, it just as quickly subsided. A grin touched his lips as he simply watched Ouyang Chen charge at him.

Seeing the smile on Shen Haoran’s lips, Ouyang Chen’s heart skipped a beat as a sense of crisis washed over him. Abruptly, a giant hand of Spiritual Thought materialized in front of him, blocking his path.

"Who gave you permission to fight in the Celestial Essence Hall?" an authoritative voice boomed. A moment later, Elder Song’s figure descended from the sky, his cold gaze sweeping over the members of the Chen Alliance.